Thomas Woodrow Wilson had a tough
battle getting the Democratic nomination in 1912, and then fought both
incumbent president Taft and former president Theodore Roosevelt to win
the presidency. Reelected in 1916 based on his promise to keep the United
States out of World War I, President Wilson is best known for presiding
over America's participation in that war. He suffered a debilitating stroke
towards the end of his presidency. His surname is English and means "son
of Will." Will is a diminutive form of William. According to my records,
Wilson has been in moderate but steady use as a given name since the 1700s.
It is difficult to say whether early 20th century usage is related to the
president. The name is usually used for boys, but has been used for girls
also.

In 1920, Americans elected the good-natured,
vacuous, handsome, sexually hyperactive Republican, Warren Harding, to
be president of the United States. Considered by most historians to be
our worst president, Harding's administration was spectacular for the number
of scandals it generated. Harding died in office before he could suffer
repercussions from the scandals. The surname Harding is an Old English
name meaning "son of the brave, hardy one." It has been used sporadically
as a given name for boys since the early 1800s, and usage does not seem
to tie in with the president.

Calvin Coolidge became president
upon the death of Warren Harding, and was elected to a term of his own
in 1924. Best known for his silence and inaction, "Silent" Cal Coolidge's
policies paved the way for the stock market crash that followed in 1929,
leading to the Great Depression. The name Coolidge is of uncertain origin.
Its usage as a first name for boys seems to be confined to the 20th Century,
with the earliest instances coming from 1924, the year Coolidge was elected.
It would seem that Cal Coolidge did inspire a handful of namesakes.

Republican Herbert Hoover was elected
to the presidency in 1928, just in time to be in the saddle for the stock
market crash in 1929 and the initiation of the Great Depression. He was
defeated in his bid for reelection four years later by Franklin Roosevelt.
His surname is the English form of the German name Huber, meaning "a large
measure of land." The name has enjoyed moderate, sporadic use as a boy's
name in the 20th Century, probably inspired by the president.